Jim Gale New Head of Law Enforcement for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region Jim Gale New Head of Law Enforcement for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region
Jim Gale, a 12?year veteran of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is
the new Special Agent in Charge of Law Enforcement in the Service’s
Southeast Region. Formerly the Special Agent in Charge of the Service’s
Division of Law Enforcement Operations in Washington, D.C., Gale began his
new duties on July 14, 2004.
“Jim has a tremendous amount of experience as a leader of a law
enforcement team,” said Sam D. Hamilton, Southeast Regional Director of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “He is keenly aware of the challenges
facing Service special agents and has solutions for how to meet them. We
are proud to have him as the leader of our team.”
As Special Agent in Charge of Law Enforcement in the Southeast, Gale
oversees Service Law Enforcement staff and activities in the Southeast
Regional Office in Atlanta and at 36 stations throughout the Southeast.
Law Enforcement focuses on preventing potentially devastating threats to
wildlife. Its responsibilities include breaking up international and
domestic smuggling rings that target imperiled animals; preventing the
unlawful exploitation of protected U.S. species; and protecting wildlife
from environmental hazards and safeguarding critical habitat for endangered
species.
Law Enforcement also enforces federal migratory game bird hunting
regulations and works with the States to protect other game species from
illegal take and preserve legitimate hunting opportunities. Other
responsibilities are inspecting wildlife shipments to ensure compliance
with laws and treaties and detect illegal trade; working with international
counterparts to combat illegal trafficking in protected species; using
forensic science to analyze evidence and solve wildlife crime, and
providing information to the public to promote compliance with wildlife
protection laws.
“The Southeast Region has done a fantastic job in building a strong
Law Enforcement program, and I am proud of the committed effort of its Law
Enforcement staff,” said Gale. “I hope to continue the strong partnerships
that have been developed with our state and federal counterparts to address
issues of specific concern to the Southeast.”
Gale comes to the Southeast Region from Washington, D.C., where he
had been Special Agent in Charge of the Division of Law enforcement
Operations since June 2003. In that position, he supervised the work of
26 employees working in the Branches of Investigations, Special Operations,
Training, and Inspection. He was a member of the Service’s Headquarters
staff for four years. From August 2000 until June 2003, he served as a
Senior Special Agent and as the Special Agent in Charge of the Branch of
Training and Inspection.
Gale joined the Service in May 1992. His first assignment was in
Lawrence, New York at JFK International Airport. He has also been stationed
in Buffalo, New York and Bay City, Michigan. He began his law enforcement
career as a State Game Warden with the Virginia Department of Game and
Inland Fisheries, where he worked on the Chesapeake Bay and the tidal
marshes along the coastal barrier islands.
Originally from East Hampton, New York, Gale enjoys outdoor
activities and sports, especially fishing, hunting, and golf. He and his
wife, Abby, have two children, Kyle, age 10, and Janel, age 6.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national
fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological
services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws,
administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations,
restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their
conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program,
which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on
fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.
Jim Gale, a 12?year veteran of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is
the new Special Agent in Charge of Law Enforcement in the Service’s
Southeast Region. Formerly the Special Agent in Charge of the Service’s
Division of Law Enforcement Operations in Washington, D.C., Gale began his
new duties on July 14, 2004.
“Jim has a tremendous amount of experience as a leader of a law
enforcement team,” said Sam D. Hamilton, Southeast Regional Director of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “He is keenly aware of the challenges
facing Service special agents and has solutions for how to meet them. We
are proud to have him as the leader of our team.”
As Special Agent in Charge of Law Enforcement in the Southeast, Gale
oversees Service Law Enforcement staff and activities in the Southeast
Regional Office in Atlanta and at 36 stations throughout the Southeast.
Law Enforcement focuses on preventing potentially devastating threats to
wildlife. Its responsibilities include breaking up international and
domestic smuggling rings that target imperiled animals; preventing the
unlawful exploitation of protected U.S. species; and protecting wildlife
from environmental hazards and safeguarding critical habitat for endangered
species.
Law Enforcement also enforces federal migratory game bird hunting
regulations and works with the States to protect other game species from
illegal take and preserve legitimate hunting opportunities. Other
responsibilities are inspecting wildlife shipments to ensure compliance
with laws and treaties and detect illegal trade; working with international
counterparts to combat illegal trafficking in protected species; using
forensic science to analyze evidence and solve wildlife crime, and
providing information to the public to promote compliance with wildlife
protection laws.
“The Southeast Region has done a fantastic job in building a strong
Law Enforcement program, and I am proud of the committed effort of its Law
Enforcement staff,” said Gale. “I hope to continue the strong partnerships
that have been developed with our state and federal counterparts to address
issues of specific concern to the Southeast.”
Gale comes to the Southeast Region from Washington, D.C., where he
had been Special Agent in Charge of the Division of Law enforcement
Operations since June 2003. In that position, he supervised the work of
26 employees working in the Branches of Investigations, Special Operations,
Training, and Inspection. He was a member of the Service’s Headquarters
staff for four years. From August 2000 until June 2003, he served as a
Senior Special Agent and as the Special Agent in Charge of the Branch of
Training and Inspection.
Gale joined the Service in May 1992. His first assignment was in
Lawrence, New York at JFK International Airport. He has also been stationed
in Buffalo, New York and Bay City, Michigan. He began his law enforcement
career as a State Game Warden with the Virginia Department of Game and
Inland Fisheries, where he worked on the Chesapeake Bay and the tidal
marshes along the coastal barrier islands.
Originally from East Hampton, New York, Gale enjoys outdoor
activities and sports, especially fishing, hunting, and golf. He and his
wife, Abby, have two children, Kyle, age 10, and Janel, age 6.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national
fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological
services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws,
administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations,
restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their
conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program,
which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on
fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.
